The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1887-11-08
FARMS AND FARMERS.
Snort Talks With the Men Who
Guide the PloW.
QUERIES ON FARM TOPICS ANSWERED


OF condltons. First, practically insoluble
either IN soil, water or by the acid of the root
surfaces. Second, held by the soil SO that
water cannot dissolve it, but the roots of plants
can. Third, entirely soluble in the water of
the soil. Under the first head come mineral
fragments, like feldspar, mica, mineral phos-
phate (apatite) etc. These are not wholly use
Aess. 1hey may become soluble after long
periods of time, through the slow process of
Weatherng; and constitute kind of reserve
stock, which very slowly, almost imperceptibiy,
feplenishes the waste or loss from denudation,
teaching or removal, as part of crops taken
from the land. The character and relative
abundance OF these minerals originally, deter
mines the richness or poverty of soil, as well
as the possibility of restoring it readily after
1t has been exhausted They constitute the
foundations of the soil, the inert
raw material destined to be worked
ny ultimately into living, active soil.
The second class of materials are such as
have at some time been soluble, but have
been withdrawn from solution and become
axed and firmly held by the soil in some man
ner only partially understood. The action re-
ferred to, is partly like that of bone charcoal
IN removing the eoloring matter from raw SUI
gar filtered through it, and partly chemical,
that is, the result of chemical reactions be-
tween the plant food and some substances in
the soil. Lime is supposed to take promi-
nent part in this matter. This power of the
soil, as will readily be seen, is very import
ant one. But for it all the soluble plant food
IN a soil would be quickly leached out of it. 1t
Is, therefore, great conservative property of
soils; not possessed by all equally, but in
greater or less degreespresent in all, greater
In clays than in sands, and especially in
those of the former containing certain salts
of lime. Tt offers in mart at loo St OF, avn1o,o-
ton of the universal esteem in which CLAW
soils are held. They "hold manure" as it is
expressed.
The third class of materials in the soil are
such as both pure water and soil water readily
dissolve and hold in solution, and which the
soil cannot withdraw from it. These are held
permanently dissolved in the water of the soil
and circulate with it. either sinking down and
escaping through springs or stopping short of
that, permeating the subsoil or rising upwards
towards the surface to take the place of that
which evaporated. This is the portion of plant
food which circulates most and which is most
liable to loss. Let us look at it little more
closely. Suppose q vessel with a hole in its
bottom to be filed with earth, and the earth
saturated with salt water-that is, water which
has dissolved as much salt as it can hold,
Now, if fresh water be poured on the top of
the vessel, water will soon begin to escape
from the hole below, not the water Just poured
on top, but the salt water already in the soil.
The latter will be forced downwards, and the
fresh water on top take its place. The
water that escapes below is called water of
displacement" Now let the natural soil be
filed with water which has dissolved the solu-
bic plant food in it-let rainfall come; the
result is that as the latter soaks into the soil
and sinks downward, the water previously in
1t also sinks downward, carrying with it the
soluble plant food. During protracted rains
the tendency then is, for available plant food
to leave the soil proper, go down with the sub
soil, deeper STILL and if the rainfall is suffi-
GENTLY great, pass into underground streams
and escape through springs In that case it is
lost.
But suppose it does not reach that point
only sinks down in the subsoil-what then? If
dry weather succeeds, a reverse movement be-
gins. Evaporation at the surface makes room
for water to rise below, and it does rise through
the soil, like oil up a wick, water through
sponge. Finally the water from considerable
depths gets to the surface, bringing
with it the plant food held in solution.
When it reaches the surface and evaporates
the plant food is left behind, and as successive
portions are brought up. aecumulates near the
surface. Hence the adage, dry summer and
autumn is followed by good grain crop.
Small grams iced largely near the surface
dry weather accumulates food just where they
want it. Even drought therefore, has it's
blessings.
Moreover, as water tends to diffuse itself in
every direction through the soil, it takes solu-
Bile plant food to every part of the SOIL so the
roots of plants cannot go amiss in finding it,
But what Of that portion of plant food which
Is fixed by the soil and which water cannot
dissolve. If used up here and there by the
roots of growing plants it becomes distributed
through the soil in very irregular manner
and the roots of succeeding crops cannot get it
in every point of their ramifcation.
At this point blowing comes in. 1t
mikes up the soil, stirs it up so to speak, and
redistributes the plant food in it. This is a
very important function of the plow-it not
merely loosens but it mixes the soil. The turn
plow carries the surface soil down and mixes it
with the subsoil, or brings the latter up and it
is mingled with the surface soil in after cult
yation When the furrow slice is not turned
completely over, but is thrown half way over,
or on edge, the mixing of different parts of the
soil is most complete. a deep running har-
row. like the disc, passing over plowed land a
number of times completes and perfects the
work w. l.. y.
w II. IT, Forsyth Gal have fine mule that is
afflicted with what is known about here 'ring-
hoof in all four of her feet. Between the hoof and
coffin bone is hollow space sufficient to run a
knife blade three inches long all around entering